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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · spell · snap · lash · ground · trunk · toast · hide

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ground — the earth
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. ground — crushed
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. toast — bread
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. spell — letters
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spell — magic
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. ground — a position
  24. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com